O Γιάνης Βαρουφάκης για τον Τζούλιαν Ασάνζ: Στη συμβουλευτική επιτροπή του DiEM25 βρίσκεται ο Τζούλιαν Ασάνζ, ένας Αυστραλός που διαφεύγει του ευρωπαϊκού νόμου στην πρεσβεία του Εκουαδόρ. Είναι το κατάλληλο πρόσωπο να συμβουλεύει για την Ευρώπη; Βαρουφάκης: Εϊμαι περήφανος για τη φιλία μου με το Τζούλιαν. Θα προσέξατε ότι ο Σουηδός δικαστής απέσυρε κάθε σκέψη άσκησης δίωξης εναντίον του. Φαντάζει τουλάχιστον περίεργο που θεωρείται ένοχος ενώ δεν υπάρχουν κατηγορίες εναντίον του. Ο Ασάνζ κατηγορείται ουσιαστικά για έναν απλό λόγο: γελοιοποίησε το σύστημα παρακολούθησης των ΗΠΑ. Τα wikileaks είναι ένα λαμπρό παράδειγμα του πως μπορεί κανείς να στρέψει τον καθρέφτη απέναντι στον ίδιο το Μεγάλο Αδερφό. Για αυτό ο Τζούλιαν είναι πρακτικά υπό κράτηση στην πρεσβεία του Εκουαδόρ. Να πιστέψουμε δηλαδή ότι οι κατήγοροί του συμμετείχαν σε σκευωρία με σκοπό την έκδοσή του στις ΗΠΑ; Βαρουφάκης: Δε με ενδιαφέρουν οι εικασίες. Αυτό που ξέρω είναι ότι στη Σουηδία δεν κατηγορήθηκε τελικά για τίποτα. Τώρα οι ΗΠΑ δήλωσαν ξεκάθαρα ότι ετοιμάζεται μυστικό δικαστήριο για να ζητήσει την έκδοσή του με κατηγορίες κατασκοπίας. Ένα τέτοιο δικαστήριο θα είναι μια παρωδία, μια ντροπή. Οι δικηγόροι του δε θα μπορούν να λάβουν καν στα χέρια τους τη δικογραφία. Θα διεξαχθεί κεκλεισμένων των θυρών και θα … Continue reading
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Lawrence Davidson: Julian Assange and the Fate of Journalism Julian Assange is the Australian founder of Wikileaks—a website dedicated to the public’s right to know what governments and other powerful organizations are doing. Wikileaks pursues this goal by posting revelatory documents, often acquired unofficially, that bring to light the criminal behavior that results in wars and other man-made disasters. Because Wikileaks’ very existence encourages “leaks,” government officials fear the website, and particularly dislike Julian Assange. Essentially, Wikileaks functions as a wholesale supplier of evidence. Having identified alleged official misconduct, Wikileaks seeks to acquire and make public overwhelming amounts of evidence—sometimes hundreds of thousands of documents at a time—which journalists and other interested parties can draw upon. And since the individuals and organizations being investigated are ones ultimately responsible to the public, such a role as wholesale supplier of evidence can be seen as a public service. (link to read rest of article) Comment by Ilargi: This starts out all right, albeit with all things that 1000 others have said before, but at the end goes completely off the rails by singling out FOX as a source of ‘confirmation bias’. But we all know what FOX wants. Its the others that … Continue reading
Bannon is moving to Europe to set up The Movement, a populist foundation to rival George Soros and spark a right-wing revolt across the continent. SOURCE LONDON—Steve Bannon plans to go toe-to-toe with George Soros and spark a right-wing revolution in Europe. Trump’s former White House chief advisor told The Daily Beast that he is setting up a foundation in Europe called The Movement which he hopes will lead a right-wing populist revolt across the continent starting with the European Parliament elections next spring. The non-profit will be a central source of polling, advice on messaging, data targeting, and think-tank research for a ragtag band of right-wingers who are surging all over Europe, in many cases without professional political structures or significant budgets. Bannon’s ambition is for his organization ultimately to rival the impact of Soros’s Open Society, which has given away $32 billion to largely liberal causes since it was established in 1984. Over the past year, Bannon has held talks with right-wing groups across the continent from Nigel Farage and members of Marine Le Pen’s Front National (recently renamed Rassemblement National) in the West, to Hungary’s Viktor Orban and the Polish populists in the East. He envisions a … Continue reading
For the second consecutive year on 1st May a function of commemoration and tribute was organized by the local SYRIZA group of Aegina and held in the naval base at Tourlos, honouring the political prisoners executed during the German occupation and the subsequent civil war. Participating in the function were the Alternate Minister for Social Solidarity Theano Fotiou, the SYRIZA Europarliamentarian Stelios Kouloglou, the SYRIZA national parliamentarians for Piraeus 1st District and for the Islands Thodoros Dritsas and Eleni Stamataki and the SYRIZA parliamentarian for Athens 2nd District Christoforos Papadopoulos. On behalf of the SYRIZA chapter in Aegina the municipal councilor Antonis Delis explained the reasons why the function is being held. A text on the history of the day was read by the medical doctor Mr. Giorgos Bogris In the course of the function a number of the participants laid wreaths and flowers on the monument. The co-ordinators of the local group Mr. Panagiotis Patsakios laid a wreath and flowers were presented by Mesdames Fotiou and Stamatakis, Messrs Dritsas, Kouloglou and Papadopoulos, the mayor of Aegina Dimitrios Mourtzis and the granddaughter of “Captain Moria” Georgakopoulos. The function was also attended by the president of the social organization of the … Continue reading
In periods of economic crisis such as the one that Greece is going through today, the environment is considered to be less important, because there are more pressing needs for liquidity. When money is missing, governments look for it anywhere – at any cost: funds that are destined for environmental protection programs end up elsewhere. Environmental protection mechanisms slacken. Untapped mineral resources suddenly look like the chicken with golden eggs and the …applied macroeconomic policy begins to leave deeper footprints in the environment. It is indeed inconceivable to discuss hydrocarbon mining in places like Epirus and the Ionian, and indeed in valuable areas such as the North Pindos National Park, with its wonderful landscapes and the natural wealth they possess. The developmental program of these areas should rely on these natural advantages and not endanger them! When the planet is in fossil fuel dependency or and there is a problematic of addressing anthropogenic climate change, Greece’s choice to turn to hydrocarbons is politically short-sighted and undermines any attempt to change its course towards clean energy and real sustainable growth. Nikos Vakolidis Ioannina Hellenic American Democratic Association 23rd April 2018 1. We cannot burn the stuff we already got: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jan/07/much-worlds-fossil-fuel-reserve-must-stay-buried-prevent-climate-change-study-says 2. European … Continue reading